Ref: 2025/PR/56
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdulla Khaleel today spoke at the ‘Keep the Internet On! The Impact of Internet Shutdowns’ event hosted by the Permanent Mission of Estonia on behalf of Freedom Online Coalition on the sidelines of the High-Level Segment of the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council, taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.
Minister Dr. Khaleel noted the remarkable progress which the Maldives has made in expanding digital access and highlighted on the outcomes of the national efforts to bridge the digital divide. Further, Minister Dr. Khaleel emphasized the importance of digital connectivity for Small Island Developing States such as the Maldives in terms of education, healthcare and industry.
Expressing that the geographically dispersed nature of the Maldives poses a natural challenge to connectivity, Minister Dr. Khaleel called for solutions based on collective action to ensure that the internet remains open, secure and accessible to all.
In conclusion, Minister Dr. Khaleel reaffirmed the Maldives commitment to working with its bilateral and multilateral partners to ensure that the benefits of digitalization are shared equitably, to bridge the digital divide and to ‘keep the internet on’ as a space of opportunity, possibility and creativity.
ENDS